Tennis player Terence Atmane narrowly avoided injuring spectators after hurling his racket into the stands during an explosive outburst at the Shanghai Masters qualifying round.
The crowd at the Shanghai Masters gasped in unison. the sound cutting through the tension of a third-set match that had spiraled well beyond the boundaries of athletic frustration. After an unforced error. 24-year-old Terence Atmane turned his anger toward the stands. launching his racket with enough force that it clanged off a metal bar just inches from spectators.
It was the climax of an increasingly volatile performance on Monday during the opening round of qualifying. The meltdown began when Atmane netted a forehand shot. prompting him to spike his racket into the net like a football. Not content with that. he pulled a tennis ball from his pocket. obliterated it. and fired it over the small grandstand. He then returned to the net, smashing his racket against the cord three times. When he finally launched the racket itself toward the audience. the close call with fans left many questioning how he remained in the tournament.
Despite the clear danger posed to those in the stands. the officiating response was limited to a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct and a point penalty. No default was issued. Shortly after, with his opponent Bernard Tomic serving for the match at 6-4, 4-6, 5-3, Atmane retired from play entirely. This exit marked his second retirement in two weeks. following a match against Elias Ymer in Jingshan where he stopped play with the third set tied at 5-5.
The sequence of events sparked immediate outcry, with observers on social media calling for severe disciplinary action. The consensus among those watching was sharp: many argued that throwing a racket toward a crowd should warrant an automatic disqualification. citing a fundamental inability to maintain professionalism or control. One user on X stated that he should never be allowed on a tennis court again. while another labeled it the worst behavior they had ever seen.
While Atmane’s conduct dominated the conversation, other tensions simmered elsewhere in the professional circuit. Elsewhere, Patrick McEnroe dismissed recent complaints from athletes like Aryna Sabalenka regarding the smell of marijuana at the US Open. McEnroe suggested that players simply get over it. noting that the scent of charcoal from burger stalls formerly located next to courts 6 and 7 was far more distracting than any ambient smoke. For the tennis world. the weekend served as a reminder of the vast distance between standard player complaints and the conduct that threatens the safety of those watching from the stands.
Terence Atmane Shanghai Masters tennis racket throw Bernard Tomic tennis news unsportsmanlike conduct